The Basstar Big
Mac, two Spintech Trebles and Special Sauce
(continued)

Retrieve:
Those same dimples that are designed to improve casting distance have an added
benefit once the lure s in the water. The dimples are designed to reduce
resistance in the water allowing the lure to get down deeper, quicker. In our
tests we had no difficulty getting the Big Mac down to 16-18 foot depths but had
to downsize our line from 12lb. to 10lb test to get to 20 feet. This lure can
get down quick and you know it the minute the lure starts digging into the
ground.

The Big Mac comes loaded with two
#2 Spintech hooks

The Big Mac gets down and
dirty and there were times when I found mud at the end of the lip when cranking
soft cover. This bill is reinforced and can take a lot of damage and while the
lureís bills did get scratched up during testing not a single one broke off. The
shape of the bill may look like a shovel but what it is essentially able to do
is keep the lure in digging position without rolling over when deflected off
rocks or submerged timber.

A look inside the bait shows the
internal structure and weighting

The Big Mac also exhibits
a wider wobble than I originally expected and swings side to side like a fish
tail more than most crankbaits. Some anglers prefer a very tight wobbling
crankbait and the Big Mac is more in between what you would expect from a cross
between a crank and a swimbait when it comes through the water. The bait just
plain works and was able to draw strikes when fish were holding deep or tight up
against structure.

The secret sauce is this giant
spoon shaped lip

The Big Mac also features
a rattle in the rear of the bait which I believe is a nice addition when
cranking deeper down or in murky water. This was especially true on the Delta
after storms where the water turned from stained to straight up muddy. Here the
Red Black Craw was absolute money. In clearer water the SX shad and McAbee
Special proved the most effective. If I had to just pick one color that produced
more strikes than the others it would have to be the McAbee special which worked
well throughout the season in both warm and cold water. The Chartreuse Blue
Black didnít entice as many Northern California fish but you can be sure that
Iíll be packing this lure the next time I head to El Salto.

The lip not only helps get the
lure down quickly but gives the lure the ability to stay upright when digging
into the ground

Durability:
The Big Mac survived all our tests and even deliberate casts into rocky
outcroppings did little to damage the lureís long lip or scratch the baitís
finish. The Spintech hooks did their job and helped keep fish on the line as
well as added a little extra weight to help get the lure down quickly. The
rotating hook design effectively prevents fish from using the hooks as leverage
and as a result we didnít have any bending hook issues.

The lures features a slim overall
profile

Price & Applications:
Like Basstarís other crankbaits the Big Mac retails for $12.99 each, putting it
at the higher end of the price band alongside Japanese lure offerings. While
more expensive than many crankbaits the Big Mac may very well be worth the extra
coin as it does offer anglers something different. Basstar blends innovation
into their lure designs and the quality of construction is a mingling of
precision and custom lure design.

Some of the patterns look very
custom

Just remember that with a
lure that runs this deep there will be times when the lure can get hung up
occasionally and unfortunately the one thing those Spintech hooks donít do is
make it a whole lot easier to break free from those atrocious run-ins with
snaggy structure. During the test I lost two lures in the Delta, one of which I
was convinced was a mess of dead line twenty feet down. At $12.99 per lure it is
certainly harder to break off one of these than a Norman.

The Spintech hooks do a good job keeping fish pinned

The Big Mac is a good
investment for those anglers that enjoy cranking deep down, not only is it an
effective bait but it is also fun to fish as well. The only real downside right
now is the price and the fact there just are not that many patterns to choose
from. We would love to see a Tennessee Shad, Pearl White and Rainbow Trout
patterned Big Mac in the future.

Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):

Basstar
Big
Mac
Crankbait
Ratings
(?/10)

Construction/Quality

Excellent
overall
construction
and use
of
innovative
Spintech
hooks

9

Performance

This
lure
gets
down and
can stay
righted
even
when
coming
in
contact
with
structure.
The Big
Mac has
a wider
wobble
than we
expected
but
proved
effective
for
targeting
fish
holding
deep

8.5

Price

On the
more
expensive
side the
Big Mac
is
priced
in
between
competing
domestic
brand
baits
and
Japanese
lures

7

Features

Plenty
of
features
for a
crankbait
including
that
massive
lip and
Spintech
hooks as
well as
a rattle

8

Design
(Ergonomics)

This is
a rather
heavy
crankbait
and a
heavier
rod is
best for
fishing
this
lure,
the
Spintech
hooks
help
anglers
get the
fish
that
strike

8.5

Application

Good for
targeting
deep
fish,
even
though
we like
the
current
patterns
a few
extra
patterns
would
help
make it
easier
to match
the
hatch

The Big Mac has a
number of interesting attributes and the formula all comes together in a lure
that is both effective and fun to fish when targeting deep holding bass

Conclusion: You know
Randyís loviní it, thereís no doubt he knows how to crank and it seems he knows
how to design a bait to address his favorite technique as well. Randy and
Basstar have infused the Big Mac with a number of attributes that make it ideal
for working deep holding fish. From the long casting ability which allows this
bait to cover vast amounts of water to the wide wobble and loud rattle to call
up fish this bait is one of the most interesting crankbaits to be released in
quite some time and while the bait does sport numerous quality features the
secret sauce is the huge spoon designed lip. This lip not only gets the bait
where it needs to go but is able to hold up to an assault from the depths and
keep the lure upright and stay in the zone. To sum it all up the Big Mac has two
all Spintech hooks, special sauce in the form of a well designed lip, non-cheesy
custom looking finishes all served up on a three inch long durable plastic body.